The Incredibles
Year: 2004
Rating: PG
Length: 115 minutes / 1.92 hours
With so many superhero movies having been released in the last two decades, it’s amazing to consider that one of the best superhero films ever created came years before the start of the Marvel Cinematic Universe and had no connections to any comic books or other previous superhero media. Sure, other franchises touched on the core aspects of this film, but its execution was so flawless that I consider it the de facto singular superhero film. That movie is The Incredibles (2004).
The closest that any franchise gets to what The Incredibles is about is probably X-Men (2000), since both deal with superheroes as a family unit as well as needing to hide their powers to fit into a society that is weaker than they are. That The Incredibles also includes aspects of the nuclear family—like being a supportive spouse or caring parent—adds to its legacy. Using common superpowers in a way to highlight each character’s personality is just the chef’s kiss on top of an amazing plot about teamwork and doing the right thing.
Even the little moments like visits with fashion designer Edna Mode (Brad Bird) show how well-rounded the universe is that there would be consideration for such a role in the superhero community. The big-band-style music—which is still one of my earliest and most favorite soundtracks—helped achieve that 1950s aesthetic that matched the golden era of comics. On top of everything else, this movie just looks great. Pixar created a timeless classic that seems to have hardly aged at all since its release (even considering how inexperienced they were with animating people at the time).
The best superhero film ever made, I give The Incredibles 5.0 stars out of 5.
This film appears in the following posts:
Cinema Connections #260. Pixar
Cinema Connections #261. Brad Bird
